Keegan feeling pressure after City draw
City drew 0-0 against Birmingham at Eastlands yesterday but would have won convincingly, but for a heroic display by goalkeeper Maik Taylor.
Asked if he felt under pressure, Keegan said: "I think so. Let's see what happens in the next few games. We can't keep saying we were unlucky."
The City boss was asked if he had had a vote of confidence from chairman John Wardle and joked: "I don't want a vote of confidence! I've not talked to the chairman. You need to get him on here and ask him.
"I am going to keep my head down, work hard and keep the players' spirits up. That's my job. If the rest doesn't take care of itself, we all know what happens."
It was City's seventh successive home draw and leaves them four points above the drop zone.
With matches against Liverpool, Bolton, Chelsea and Manchester United looming it is not a particularly comfortable position to be in, although Keegan was honest enough to admit it reflects City's current form.
"The league table doesn't lie," said the former England boss, who has been assured by chairman John Wardle that his position is not under threat despite rumours that he only had three games to save himself from the sack.
"It is my job to keep the players' heads up, but our performances have been better than our results."
Keegan said Wednesday night's FA Cup heroics at Tottenham had taken a lot out of his team, even though he made five changes to his starting line-up.
Nevertheless, his team would have ended their barren run had it not been for Taylor, a man Keegan signed during his short stint at Fulham and who will join Birmingham in a permanent £1.5m (€2.18m) move during the summer should Bruce's side, as expected, avoid the drop. Taylor had already produced one instinctive first-half stop to deny Antoine Sibierski when, with barely 10 minutes remaining, he turned away Jon Macken's close-range effort, then recovered his position to claw Sibierski's follow-up onto a post.
"They were absolutely world-class saves," said Keegan. "He had no right to make the second one.
"When I signed Maik for Fulham, I knew he had the ability to become a Premiership-class keeper and he has proved it at my expense today."
Keegan confirmed that Irish defender Richard Dunne is a doubt for Wednesday's trip to Anfield after suffering a bang on his hip during the first half which stiffened up during the interval.
Dunne contributed to a solid display from the City rearguard which earned them their first clean sheet in any competition since December 7.
The muscular presence of debutant Daniel van Buyten and the return of England keeper David James were major factors in the unfamiliar calm which spread across the Blues defence and Keegan was delighted with the new boy's debut. "I didn't think it would be a problem and he has come in and done very well. Considering he doesn't speak too much English, he can be delighted with his debut."
Birmingham boss Steve Bruce admitted pay-per-view punters deserved a refund after the goalless draw.
The visitors contributed virtually nothing in attack and Bruce admitted: "My dad has paid to watch the game on TV and he will be complaining bitterly.
"It was the pay-per-view match and anybody who got it deserves a refund.
"We were poor in the first half and probably just got above average in the second, but I was pleased with the effort at least and the point keeps us in the top half of the table."
James, Van Buyten, Distin, Dunne (Jihai 55), Tarnat, Sibierski, Reyna (McManaman 70), Bosvelt (Barton 70), Wright-Phillips, Fowler, Macken.
Maik Taylor, Tebily, Cunningham, Purse, Kenna (Clapham 70), Hughes, Savage, Johnson, Lazaridis, Forssell (Morrison 79), John (Dugarry 45).
P Durkin (Dorset).
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